Machine-gun



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. DE W. O. FARRINGTON.

Machine Gun.

' Patented May 10,1881.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

DE W. G. PARRINGTON. Machine Gun. No. 241,130. Patented May 10,1881.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

WITT O. FARRINGTON, OF LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS.

MACHINE-GUN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,130, dated May 10, 1881.

Application filed May 19, 1879.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, DE WITT O. FARRING- I TON, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of 1\Iassachusetts,haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Machine-Guns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an. improvement upon the mechanism for which Patent No. 165,318 was issued to me.

The object of my invention is to provide a mechanism for the gun described in saidpatent which shall operate with certainty and without liability to choke up; and it consists of, first, a single cartridge-carrying roll,which is substituted in place of the two cartridge-carrying rolls, for transferring the cartridge from the hopper to alignment with the bore of the gun-barrel, as formerly used, and combining it with a feed-table which shall receive the cartridge directly from the hopper and allow the cartridge to be transferred from the feed-table to the carrying-roll by an automatically-reciprocatin g finger suitablyarranged and actuated, in combination with the other parts for that purpose 5 second, in providing an automatic yielding reciprocating finger which has a motion to and from the carrying-roll, but which can accommodate itself in its forward movement to any obstruction or failure in the operation of the other parts of the machine without interrupting their continued action; third, in providing a new form of mechanism to lock and hold the carrying-roll in position for firing and unlock the same to allow it to bring forward a fresh cartridge without jar, liability to get out of order, or multiplicity of parts; fourth, in providing a mechanism in which the parts shall be so adjusted and proportioned that the cartridge shall be moved less than once its diameter to pass from the hopper to the path of the carrying-roll.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters and figures of reference indicate like parts, Figure 1 is a cross-section, looking forward on line as 'y of Fig. 5, showing the reciprocatingloading-finger in one position. Fig. 2 is a view on same line showing loading-finger in another position. Fig.3 is an elevation of two of the locking-wheels taken from the case. Fig. 4 is an elevation of the moving and lock-ingwheels removed from the case. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device. Fig. 6 is a side elevation,

My first improvementis shown in the drawings, Figs. 1, 2, 5.

A is the frame of the machine, m is the shaft of the rotary cartridge-carrier, F is the rotary carrier, and M is their driving-wheel. These parts operate similarly in a general way to those of corresponding construction in my former patent, heretofore referred to.

In lieu of the second rotary carrier operatin g with the first, I place a platform or table, H, slightly above the horizontal plane of the center of the rotary carrier F. Above the table is placed the cartridge-hopper B, so that the cartridges descend successively upon the table or platform H,,which may be slightly hollowing to receive them. Sufficient spaceis left between the hopper B and platform H to allow a cartridge to be pushed sidewise from the table into the chambers of the rotary carrier F, and the carrier F is placed so near the hopper B that but one cartridge can lie upon the table at a time. This construction and arran gement prevent any cartridge from becoming jammed in this passage, for should any cartridge rebound from the chamber of the carrier it will be forced back after the finger hereinafter described by the periphery of the carrier, and, passing under those in the hopper, sustain them until it is again pushed forward toward the carrier.

Working back and forth just above the upper surface of the table H is the reciprocating main shaftP of the gun mechanism, which,

- near its other end, has attached to it the wheel-- or disk K, and its attached tooth L, which engages with the wheel M. The cam D is so carrier forward carries thech amber audits car tridge downward past the edge of the platform H to a position in a horizontal plane with the axis of the rotary carrier, which brings the cartridge into line with the gun-barrel, when it is driven forward into the gun-barrel and discharged, as described in my former patent mentioned. 1

The advantages found in mypresent improvement are that all'liability of the cartridges getting into the rotary carrier in a position to clog them is avoided. With the two rotary carriers acting in conjunction, as described in my former patent, the movement was positive and unyielding, and if any cartridge failed to descend quickly into the chambers of the rotary carriers it was liable to be caught between the edges of the partitions between the cells, and, becoming jammed and bent, would go neither back into the hopper nor forward into the gun-barre], and the machine would have to be taken to pieces to extract the injured cartridge; while with the platform and feed-finger above described the spring-bolt 2 allows the feed-finger to have a yielding pressure against the cartridge, and permits the latter to fly back, if not properly received in its chamber, at one movement of the rotary carrier, and be preseu ted to the next chamber without stopping the machine or danger of injury to the cartridge.

My second improvement relating to locking,

unlocking, and moving the carrier-roll shaft,-

is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in which the mechanism consists of a circular disk or platewheel, K, having its periphery concentric with the shaft P, which carries it, and which wheel K revolves in close contact with a wheel, 0, which has depressions in its periphery segmental to the disk or plate-wheel K, and in wheel moves.

which depressions the edge of the disk or plate- This disk or plate-vwheel has a notch or depression, N, in one place in its periphery, (shown by the dotted line behind the tooth L in Fig. 4,) which, when brought in line with the axis of the wheels K 0, is deep enough to permit of the revolution of the wheel O. The disk K is provided with a tooth, L, which overlaps or extends beyond its circumference and engages with the toothed wheel M, which has teeth whose centers are on the same plane of radiation from its shaft as are the centers of the segmental depressions formed in the periphery of the wheel 0. The toothL is placed on the wheel K in'the'same plane of radiation from the shaft P as is the notch N,

so that at the same time that one of the points d of the wheel 0 is brought opposite the notch N the toothL is brou ghtin to contact with the wheel M, and'by the rotation of the wheel I; the wheels 0 and M will be moved until the tooth L passes out from between the teeth q,

when the notch N, having also passed the wheel 0, can move no farther, and the remainder of the revolution of the wheel K will be made while the wheels'O'M do not'revolve.

Thus at every revolution of the wheel or disk K the wheels 0 M are rotated one tooth of M, which movement occurs in a small part of the time of the revolution of the wheel K, while at all other times the wheel 0 is firmly locked or held by the wheel K without the use of other parts. By this means wheels 0 M are lockedwhile the discharge of the arm takes place,and the feed-carrier F being set upon the shaft m in proper relation ,to the wheels 0 M the movements of. the latter'impart the proper alternate rotation and rest to the feedcarrier.

' 9 The advantagesof this locking and unlocking and moving device are that it operates certainly and smoothly, without jafor disturbance of the other parts of the gun, and the use of ratchets or other small moving parts, which areliable to be annoying and troublesome 3. In combination with the feed-finger G, provided with the arm I, the spring-bolt2,\ no

ca'm D, carrier F, and platform H, substan-v tially as described.

, 4. The combination of the carrier F, platform H, feed-finger O, and spring;bolt 2 with the cam D, placed upon the driving-shaft P, which is connected by suitable mechanism with the rotary carrier-shaft, and which, through such mechanism and the cam and spring-bolt,

gives the feed-carrier and feed-finger alternately each their proper movement, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the carrier F, placed on the shaft with the wheels M and O, the cam D, placed on the shaft with the wheel K,

which is provided with the tooth L, with the finger'G, provided with the arm I, the wheels K, M, and O, and cam 1), being so adjustedthat the movement of the feed-finger toward the carrier will be made in the interval be- I the cartridges as they fall upon the platform tween the movements of the carrier, substan- I will be in position, when moved sidewise, to be 10 tially as described. received into the carrier, substantially as de- 6. The combination, with the hopper B and scribed. 5 carrier F, of the feed-finger U and platform H, DE WITT CLINTON FARRINGTON.

the finger being adjusted to move the cartridges Witnesses: sidewise less than twice their diameter, and D. P. Own, the carrier and hopper being so adjusted that L. BAcoN. 

